Crescimento da População do Estado do Paraná

Abstract

            The State of Paraná had, according to the 1920 Census a population of 685.711 inhabitants and, during the following twenty years, it presented an increase of 550.565 inhabitants; this fact represents a relative increase of 89,29%, the highest percentage attained by a single unit of the Federation.

            This increase in the population, however, was not uniform on the whole area of the State. In some places a low increase index was registered while in other zones even an exodus of part of the population took place.

            On the other hand, in some zones where the peopling is recent, the relative increase of the population surpasses 100, 200 and even 400%, reaching a status comparable to the increase noted in the "municípios" in which the whole population existing in 1940 settled after the 1920 Census.

            Examining the maps which show the increase of the population of the Stale of Paraná between 1920 and 1940 one can detach, first, the eastern part of the State, which corresponds to the zones of more ancient peopling and in which, with a few exceptions, the increase which took place was not very important.

            In this last zone, some movements of the population took place, some ancient colonial nuclei being abandoned and an exodus taking place toward the cities, this fact being particularly important around Curitiba and Ponta Grossa, the largest urban centers of the State.

            The increase which took place in this zone was not too important.

            On the contrary, in the "municípios" which occupy the central part of the State, as well as in the West and North, the increase was of 50% or more of the present population, being specially important the "municípios" in the extreme North in which the relative increase equals the absolute.

            Almost the whole of this increase corresponds to the settlement of unoccupied areas and the high increase in the population reveals the pattern which is being followed by the said settlement.

            Thus, on the southwest and west of the State, the settlement, which was imitiated a long time ago, only now began to expand with the progress of the population and greater facilities of communications with the east, the "município" of Foz do Iguaçu not being attained.

            On the other hand, on the north of the State, the settlement took place in a virgin zone, the pioneer fringe advancing gradually towards west.

            This extraordinary increase of the population computed on the State of Paraná during the period between the 1920 and 1940 Censuses, thus corresponds in its major part to the advance of the settlement towards west and consequent occupation of new zones.

            The State of Paraná constituted, during this period, an attraction to he populations of neighboring States and their populations contributed somehow to the increase of the population of Paraná.

            Furthermore, the large country which lies on the western part of the State still attract numerous settlers and the 1950 Census will certainly show a high index of increase in the population of this region.